The Australian Football League and BHP congratulate Malcolm Hales from the Arnhem Crows Football Club in the Northern Territory on winning the 2024 BHP Community Coach of the Year award.
The announcement was made at the annual W Awards on Monday night, with Malcolm in attendance to receive the award.
In its fourth year, the BHP Community Coach of the Year program acknowledges individuals who are making exceptional contributions to advance grassroots footy for women and girls.
As a school principal in the remote Indigenous community of Barunga, Malcolm has worked tirelessly to promote and develop pathways for women and girls involved in Australian Rules Football. As the coach of the first Indigenous team to compete in a senior women’s community football competition, Malcolm has guided the Crows to three premierships in five years, including a win in their inaugural season in 2020. Malcolm was the driving force, actively seeking sponsorship and grants to ensure the team was financially viable.
Malcolm’s leadership extends far beyond coaching, as he has taken on a huge amount of responsibility within the Arnhem Crows Sporting Association. The ultimate club person, he’s taken on roles such as runner, water carrier, time-keeper, first aid, writing weekly match reports, line marking grounds weekly, washing guernseys, and even acting as proxy for the president.
With distance being a major barrier preventing talented locals from further skill development, Malcolm has taken this matter into his own hands by driving players and primary school children from Barunga to Darwin (900km round trip) and Katherine (200km round trip) to participate in the Northern Territory Football League, representative matches, clinics and gala days.
He has provided these young players with invaluable experiences outside their community, helping them develop as athletes, leaders, and positive role models. This demanding travel schedule demonstrates his dedication to ensuring the women and young players of the region have access to high-level football and equal opportunity, despite the challenges of distance.
Driven by a vision to promote opportunity and inclusion through sport, Malcolm has established pathways that connect football participation with education, community engagement, and mental health.
Malcolm has also prioritised player safety and well-being, advocating for improved facilities, including gender-specific changing rooms. He addresses the unique cultural needs of his players, ensuring training and games occur under safe conditions, and promoting mental and physical health through initiatives such as the ‘No More Campaign’ against domestic and family violence. His efforts have fostered a supportive, inclusive environment.
His work not only strengthens the Arnhem Crows women’s team but also contributes to a long-term vision of empowered, and healthier communities in Barunga and surrounding areas.
Volunteers like Malcolm are the lifeblood of footy in Australia. A worthy winner of the award, we congratulate Malcolm and thank him for his commitment to advancing women’s and girls' football.
If you know a worthy winner like Malcolm, keep your eyes peeled for the next instalment of the award in 2025.
AFL Executive General Manager Game Development, Rob Auld, said: “In 2024 there are 28,500 registered coaches in Australia which is five per cent up on last year and pleasingly, we’ve also seen a 15 per cent increase in women and girls coaching numbers.
“There is no doubt that programs such as those supported by BHP have played a big part in driving women and girls football forward and encouraging more females to get into coaching.
“Congratulations to Malcolm on being recognised as the 2024 BHP Community Coach of the Year. It’s a wonderful achievement and deserved recognition for someone who has done so much for women and girls footy in the Northern Territory, and thanks to BHP for their ongoing support and commitment towards football for women and girls.”
BHP President Australia, Geraldine Slattery, congratulated Malcolm Hales on being awarded the 2024 BHP Community Coach of the Year.
“Malcolm has been a tireless advocate and passionate leader in his pursuit to develop and promote women in football in Australia’s top end. Malcolm isn’t just an inspiring coach he is also a wonderful club man and gives-back in so many ways, both around the club and in the community.
“We are delighted that Malcolm has been recognised with this award as he epitomises what BHP is aiming to achieve and that is to empower our younger leaders and build greater female participation in sport and business. At BHP we are delighted to see higher numbers of women in a range of fields across our organisation, with women now making up over 37 per cent of our employee workforce,” Ms Slattery said.
As part of the AFL’s commitment to the Women and Girls Action Plan, the AFL is striving to have women and girls make up 40 per cent of all accredited coaches by 2030.
Previous winners of the BHP Community Coach of the Year:
- 2023: Kellie Nolan - Maroubra Saints Junior Football Club, AFL Sydney Juniors (NSW)
- 2022: Natalie Pribil - Beaumaris Junior Football Club, South Metro Junior Football League (Vic)
- 2021: Rebecca Ticli – MCC, Victorian Amateur Football Association (Vic)
The partnerships builds on the AFL and BHP’s shared ambitions to improve opportunity and equality in both business and sport and will focus on enhancing the impact in gender diversity. The partnership sees the global resources company continue as a Women's Coaching Partner and Inclusive Community Club Partner. BHP has naming rights and presenting partner status of several key coaching programs including:
- The BHP AFL Women's Coaching Academy
- BHP Community Coach of the Year Award
- AFLW Player to Coach Programs
- She Can Coach National Program, presented by BHP
- Women's Coaching Month, presented by BHP
The BHP Community Coach of the Year is a key component of the partnership between the AFL and BHP, which in 2023 was extended for a further three years through to 2025, after the two organisations first came together in 2020.
In 2022, the AFL committed $5 million over three years in new investment to fund phase one of the Women and Girls Action Plan to drive more opportunities for women and girls across playing, coaching, umpiring and administering. The plan is a key part of the AFL's commitment to reach our aim set out in the Women’s Football Vision of equal participation and representation across all levels of community football by 2030.
